#this combined with having to buy a car soon needing new glasses a new mattress and my father moving out is making me so stressed | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

strangebrews · 4 years

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perfect complements

chapter two // on ao3 // chapter 1 // chapter 3 // chapter 4

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Tommy had gotten divorced the year before, the papers making it official arrived a week after he had moved into this new house.

He did not elaborate on who it was, only said that they were the one to make the decision. “Claimed I was too cold—too distant and emotionless. Being with me was more of a challenge than a pleasure.” His tone was nonchalant throughout it all—whether that was because of genuine indifference or a refusal to reveal his pain was unclear.

They were sitting on Alfie’s back porch, sipping on warm apple cider and listening to the crickets sing. The complaints Tommy’s ex had were understandable. He was reserved and his scarce enthusiasm could be interpreted as rude, but the silence was misleading, Alfie had learned. Tommy simply expressed his appreciation in tiny spurts—you had to know what to look for.

Eye contact was the most common. He would stare straight into Alfie’s eyes when he spoke, nodding along with the rhythm of his words, entirely expressionless. It was robotic, seemed like he had tuned out somewhere in the middle of the third sentence. Yet Alfie knew that was not the case, because Tommy filed all of the information away carefully, referencing it in different situations. Or sometimes he would take a day or two to digest before returning to the topic, prompting it with “You know, I’ve been dwelling on what you said…”

Another month had passed and their relationship blossomed further—Tommy now prepared a teapot every Saturday morning in anticipation of Alfie’s visit. He’d been shopping for an extra chair, a few more plates and some utensils—everything necessary to make their little routine as comfortable as possible. He bought precisely what he needed, never in excess.

It took a batch of shortbread cookies, a carrot cake and 3 sourdough loaves—Tommy very much liked those—for him to finally ask Alfie to help him haul the mattress up to what would become his room.

Patience —that was the main requirement for a bond with Tommy and Alfie was brimming with it.

The task was more taxing than they had anticipated, but when they had finally succeeded in rolling the mattress over onto the bed frame, Tommy dusted off his jeans and said, “I want to plant a garden. Some flower beds or…..or vegetables.” He was directing his words to the floor, which, Alfie presumed, were supposed to deflect onto him.

It was mid-November, the morning air was growing frostier with each day—hardly the time to start planting anything, but Alfie scanned the room. It was just as plain and gloomy as the rest of the house. A winter in this setting would be horribly somber.

“You could start with some house plants, until the seasons turn again. But you’ll need more shelves or stands—places to put them. Curtains to regulate the light, depending on the kind you buy.” he would have continued, these were necessary details, but Tommy was staring at him now, eyes growing wider with each word.

“Ah...right.” he kicked one of the metal legs gently. “It was a stupid idea anyway.”

“I can help you, I’ve done it all before.” It slipped out before Alfie had enough time to evaluate whether that would overstep another boundary, but Tommy had replied with his Ok before he had time to overthink that as well.

They visited one of the smaller flower shops in town. Alfie was a regular, knew all of the workers by name, but it took this trip with Tommy and the chorus of Alfie ’s in the entrance—all from elderly women—for him to realize how long it had been since he’d spent a considerable amount of time with someone closer to his own age.

Tommy was particularly drawn to the succulents, brushing their stems with the pad of his thumb. He chose two large, bowl-like pots of assorted kinds—mini gardens, one of which had a ceramic gnome poised in the corner, right next to his mushroom hut.

“I thought it’d be nice….to have someone else around—you know?” he explained it sheepishly, catching Alfie staring at the figurine, his voice hitching at the end.

But Alfie wasn’t judging, he was simply fitting this piece of information into the Tommy puzzle.

“I think you’re right.” and he assumed his smile was successfully reassuring, because the strain in Tommy’s jaw vanished.

Alfie made the rest of the suggestions. A few varieties of orchid, one blooming peace lily, a sword fern growing in a hanging pot, and some African violets—for some color.

Tommy did not refuse any of the choices, instead lined them up in neat rows within their cart and made the occasional “Hm...yes.”

A watering can was added to the purchase—because, just as the food liked when the cook was dressed up, Tommy reasoned flowers would appreciate not being watered with some chipped mug he’d abandoned in the back of his cupboard.

And Alfie, suddenly choking on the sentiment, for once had nothing more to say.

It had started to drizzle lightly by the time they returned. They’d taken Tommy’s car, engine now idling in the driveway.

“The shelves and things will be easy to find, just buy whatever furniture you think will fit best for your vision.” This single shopping trip was enough. Alfie didn’t want to overindulge in their time together.

He turned the door handle, but a hand on his upper arm stopped him. Tommy jerked it away quickly once Alfie had turned back. His mouth was open. Then closed. Open again.

“Um...what if we—I mean I—” closed again. He blinked rapidly, eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks. So incredibly pretty.

The raindrops had grown heavier, sky darkening around them. He opted for “I’ll let you know once it’s ready,” instead.

It played out much less romantically than the thousand and one scenarios that Alfie managed to fabricate in the span of that minute. Tommy sounded defeated. Or disappointed. Perhaps a combination of the two.

But Alfie only nodded his agreement, rather than grieving on the lost opportunity, and escaped before his own mixture of reactions could manifest themselves on his face—and other places.

He dreamt of meadows and butterfly lashes that night.

The setup was ready the following week, when Alfie arrived on the doorstep with a plate of coconut custard, in the shape of a mini dome. “Something new for a change,” he shrugged, hoping inwardly that it would be an omen for other things.

Tommy had done quite a lot of work, his plants now decorating the newly arranged stands in his living and bedroom. The fern hung from the ceiling at the end of the kitchen, one of the violets soaking in the sunlight on a windowsill.

“And the gnome garden?” It would be the centerpiece of his coffee table, Tommy explained. A simple black one, still packaged.

A bit out of place, Alfie thought, but Tommy was glowing with pride so he agreed it was the perfect location for it.

The home, in general, was still quite drab, but visibly happier with the greens and purples and yellows vibrant against the white walls. Tommy was visibly happier—the creases in his forehead had smoothened out a bit, his skin no longer a sickly pale.

It was good. Nice, even, to see the smiles reach his eyes more often.

Nice was of course an understatement, but Alfie had to restrict his choice in adjectives to resist the overwhelming urge to hug him.

The flowers had created another visible change: Tommy talked more. Still less when compared to an average person, but he asked questions and appeared on Alfie’s front porch unannounced.

They were all regarding the plants—he’d grown very preoccupied with their well-being and, inexperienced as he was, kept requesting that Alfie come over and check on their condition.

He was tending to them well—much better than the flower Alfie remembered in the front window the first day. Perhaps a leaf or two had browned slightly, but nobody could avoid that. Though Tommy kept returning with the same set of worries, questions rephrased, and Alfie addressed them gladly.

This continued for around two weeks before Alfie began to struggle with balancing the visits with his own work. So he developed a system, terrified that if he mentioned the difficulties, Tommy would retreat entirely.

When they’d been moving the mattress, he noticed a window at the end of Tommy’s hallway upstairs—within clear view of and identical to the one on the side of Alfie’s home.

“Write your questions here and I’ll respond as soon as I see them.” He gave Tommy a stack of white papers and a thick, blue marker—the assortment of things Tommy owned and did not was entirely random. Alfie could spare a few sheets.

Tommy accepted the idea with what could have bordered on excitement.

There was a question waiting for him, taped to the glass, virtually every day.

One of the orchid heads has fallen off….what now?

The grey succulent—you know, the spiral one, beside the gnome—I think it’s gotten greyer. Is that even possible?

Can I keep the violets over the heating vents? They look a bit cold.

The first snow had fallen, third week into December. Alfie wrote out the NO in big, block letters to emphasize his message, then added the (you can knit some pot warmers) underneath, beside himself.

A few hours later, a new paper awaited him. I have no idea how to knit—can I buy them online?

Sarcasm—that was the one thing Alfie forgot Tommy had difficulty grasping.

I don’t think this will come as a surprise, but I don’t really have anywhere to go for Christmas this year either. If you make the fruitcake, I can provide the tea and music (:

Alfie had mentioned that he spent his holidays alone—seeing as he was an only child and both his parents had died—but it had been in passing, he refused to dwell. Tommy Shelby, always listening.

He read and reread the words, letting each one soak into his memory, chest tightening each time he reached the smiley.

Walnuts or no walnuts?

#tommy x alfie #alfie x tommy #sholomons #tofie #tommy shelby #alfie solomons #thomas shelby #peaky blinders #mine #anyway this is literally just fluff but i suppose this is my Humble Offering for #all the angst i've been force feeding you for months

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redgillan · 7 years

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Breaking the Rules - part 3

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Modern!AU You hate James Barnes with a burning passion and the feeling is entirely mutual. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, you are tricked into attending his sister’s wedding as his girlfriend. Stuck with a bunch of strangers, you come up with a set of rules that are not going to last long.

Word Count:2,157

Warnings: the usual + Mention of Cheating, Mention of Emotionally Abusive Relationship

A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter, lovelies!

Breaking the Rules - Masterpage

You woke up with a start, unsure where you were. The distant sound of laughter filled the room and you rolled to your side, groaning. The light filtering through the curtains was bright enough to see by, but your eyes were still blurry from sleep.

“It’s barely seven!” Bucky groaned.

His head appeared just above the mattress as he sat up from the floor. He was at eye level with you and yawned widely, not bothering to cover his mouth. You buried your face into the pillow, mumbling something about morning breath.

“So this is what you look like in the morning,” he said, stretching his back. “Interesting.”

You shoved him hard as you kicked the covers off and jumped out of bed. He fell back into his sleeping bag, staring up at the ceiling with his arms crossed behind his head. You made a beeline for the window; his mother and sisters were having breakfast on the patio.

“Oh, shut up!” you snapped, your eyes shooting daggers at him. “You don’t look better. Are those dark circles under your eyes or are you turning into a panda?”

“Hey, I just said you looked interesting.” His self-satisfied smirk made your blood boil.

“Yeah? Well, you look interesting, too.” You used your fingers to make air quotation marks around the word interesting. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to take a shower. Now get up and make my bed.”

“What? No-”

“Rules #9, little panda,” you reminded him, closing the door behind you.

When you came downstairs for breakfast, there was an empty seat between Bucky and Lizzie. Mary handed you a glass of orange juice while Winnie introduced you to Rebecca.

“You can call me Becca,” she replied with a warm smile. “How long have you and Bucky been together?”

You looked thoughtful for a moment before you decided that a half truth was better than a half lie. “We’ve been seeing each other for a year.”

“Love at first sight?” she asked.

To Bucky’s surprise and shock, you burst out laughing. He jabbed you in the ribs with his elbow, making you cry out. You recovered quickly and answered Becca’s question.

“Not really,” you sighed, preparing yourself mentally for what you were about to say. “But now, I love him so much, it physically hurts.”

You glanced at Bucky who was chewing with his mouth open, gleefully and on purpose. You drank your orange juice with a loud slurping noise that made him grit his teeth.

While the others talked about their plans for the day, Becca observed you and Bucky. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something strange going on between you and Bucky. Months ago, he had checked that he was coming with a guest, but last night, during dinner, you told them that it was a last minute thing.

She pondered the thought while they all cleared the table and washed the dishes. It pained her to see him like that; sad, distant and angry. He had been so emotionally damaged that he was now reduced to a shell of a man.

Bucky left the kitchen to return to his bedroom and found you already there, stuffing your phone into your purse. He crossed the room and flopped down on the bed, a content sigh leaving his lips.

“Going somewhere?”

“Yes, your sisters are taking me to the mall. I would have mentioned it last night, but you were too busy throwing tantrums. Mary’s excited, though. She wants to move to New York and run a fashion business.”

Bucky chuckled, his eyes closed.

“Anyway, I need your credit card.”

His eyes sprang open.

“According to the rules, you-”

“I have to buy you a dress and a pair of shoes,” he interrupted you. “Yeah, I remember.”

Without knocking, Mary burst into the room, startling you and Bucky. There was a frown on her pretty face as she looked you over.

“What’s taking you so long? Come on! Let’s go, we only have four hours to find the perfect dress!” she nearly shouted, clapping her hands as if that would make you move faster. “I’ll wait for you in the car.”

She rushed downstairs, her feet pounding the ground. Bucky took a step towards you and reluctantly handed you his credit card. Laughing like a villain in a Disney movie, you took your purse and left the room. Bucky face-palmed himself; you were going to be the death of him.

Mary and Lizzie took you to every clothing store they knew, but you were still searching for the perfect dress. Luckily, you found the dress in a boutique you had never heard of before. The dress was red and form fitting; the perfect combination of classy and sexy.

Your eyes widened when you looked at the price tag. That beautiful designer dress was worth more than you made in three months. Teasing Bucky was fun, but you were not going to spend all his money on a dress.

You took a last good look at yourself in the mirror and tried to find flaws in your flawless dress.

“That dress looks amazing on you!”

A woman was standing behind you and you raised your gaze to meet hers in the mirror. She had long, straight red hair and sparkling green eyes. You turned around to face her.

“Red’s your color, sweetie,” she said with a kind smile.

“Thank you,” you replied, trying to sound polite and not weirded out. You weren’t used to random compliments. “But it’s too expensive.”

“The prices here are unbelievable,” the woman responded, sympathizing with you. “Still, it looks really good on you. Where did you find that dress?”

You pointed to a rack of clothes near the dressing rooms. She was about to leave when a little boy ran towards her. He hugged her long legs and she stumbled in her high heels, almost losing her balance. Chuckling softly, she ran a hand through the boy’s dark hair.

“I’m Dolores and this is my little guy, Louis.”

You told her your name and shook her hand. Louis had his mother’s eyes, as green as grass after a summer shower. His hair was a mess of chestnut curls that he most likely took after his father.

You parted ways soon after and you changed back into your clothes before you joined Mary and Lizzie who were waiting for you somewhere in the store. They were disappointed to see you come back empty-handed.

You found a pale lilac dress in a thrift shop for only twenty dollars; it was classy and cheap. Mary wasn’t thrilled, but Lizzie commented that Bucky would love the dress. You gave her a small smile. You were pretty sure Bucky wouldn’t care. You had only one goal -impress his ex-girlfriend.

As you stepped out of the mall, a hot dry breeze hit your face. The air was hot, almost suffocating and you had to remove your jacket. You sat in the front passenger seat and fastened your seatbelt while Lizzie started the car.

She drove back to her parents’ house with the windows rolled down, a warm breeze whipping through the car. After a moment of silence, you decided to ask them about Dot.

“What is she like?”

“She’s...” Lizzie drawled out, choosing her words carefully.

“She’s a manipulative bitch,” Mary replied from the backseat. “She’s always nice and polite, but there’s something evil about her.”

“Evil?” you snorted. “Seriously?”

“Dot’s a demon, but she’s engaged to the groom’s best man so she’ll be at the wedding.”

“What happened between her and Bucky?” you asked.

Lizzie looked in the rear view mirror and shared a puzzled look with her sister. “He never told you?”

“He doesn't talk about it.” It wasn’t a lie, you had never had a real conversation with Bucky.

“He really should be the one telling you this,” Lizzie said, her eyes focused on the road. “But we’ll tell you because you deserve to know.”

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat. This was a terrible idea, you felt like you were invading his privacy.

“They met in high school and applied to the same colleges,” Lizzie began. “Bucky’s always been a straight-A student. He graduated with honors in History while Dot had to repeat her senior year. He decided to wait for her and took a job as a waiter. And since Dot lived on campus, he found a roommate to save money.

“To be honest, she practically lived with him and his roommate. She skipped classes and drank a lot while he was working his ass off. And then he received a job offer from his old high school after the history teacher retired. He rented a small studio apartment with the money he had saved up and moved in with Dot. Not long after that, she told him she was pregnant.”

“You have to understand that Bucky practically raised us,” Mary continued. “Our dad was deployed and our mom was too depressed to take care of us. Bucky prepared our meals, took us to school, did the laundry, and whatever else was necessary. He was just a kid; he’s two years older than Becca, seven years older than Liz and eleven years older than me.”

“Bucky’d always wanted to be a dad. Taking care of us must have triggered something. He was so happy when Dot got pregnant,” Lizzie recalled fondly before her smile fell from her lips. “She was four months pregnant when her obstetrician found something wrong with the child. They did some tests and... Well, Bucky couldn’t possibly be the father.

“She admitted cheating on him with his roommate, Scott. They kinda look alike, so she figured Bucky would never know. She broke up with Bucky, married Scott and divorced him ten months later. And now, Bucky lives in a big city, makes loads of money and never visits us anymore. She tore him to pieces.”

As she finished her story, Lizzie parked the car in the driveway. You followed the two sisters into the house and pondered over what Lizzie and Mary had said. Now you understood why he had freaked out the night before.

His friends were moving on and he was still haunted by his ex-girlfriend and her cruel lies. In a way, you understood his anger and lifestyle. If someone had crushed your heart and destroyed every dream you had ever had, you would probably have made some drastic changes in your life.

Every girls were potential Dots and he had to protect himself.

As soon as you walked into the kitchen, Winnie gave you two glasses of lemonade and told you to bring them to “the boys.” Bucky and Becca’s fiancé, Henry, were in the backyard, working on Becca’s car.

You left your bag in the kitchen and stepped onto the patio where you slipped off your sandals. The grass was warm under your feet as you crossed the backyard. A man you assumed was Henry took the glass you handed him.

“You’re a godsend. It’s so hot today.” He wiped his brows with the back of his hand and took a long sip of the cold drink. “We haven’t met yet. I’m Henry and I’m getting married this Sunday.”

You laughed. There was something about him that made you feel comfortable right away. He looked like a giant marshmallow.

You turned your head and saw a pair of legs clad in grease-stained jean poking out from under the car. Henry gave you a knowing smile and walked back towards the house, leaving you alone with Bucky.

He rolled out from underneath the car and almost hit his head when he saw you standing in front of him.

“You scared the shit outta me,” he grumbled as he got to his feet.

You were about to reply something when he removed his dirty white singlet and used it to wipe off his face. The words got stuck in your throat as you shamelessly ogled his half naked body. You quickly looked away when he threw his shirt on the grass.

“You okay?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. You nodded and gave him the glass of lemonade. “Thanks, I was dying.”

“You’re sweaty.”

“Well, yeah, it’s like 90 degrees.”

“You’re sweaty,” you repeated, your eyes locked on a trickle of sweat that was running between his pecs.

“Are you drunk?”

He leaned forward to smell your breath. His face was so close that you could see the smattering of freckles dotting his nose. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. Suddenly, the corners of his eyes crinkled and a laugh escaped his throat.

“Don't cross your eyes or they'll get stuck that way.”

“I wasn’t,” you responded, pushing him away.

“Yes, you were!” He stumbled back, laughing buoyantly. “It was amazing! Do it again!”

“Buttface,” you said, flipping him off as you backed away.

You walked back toward the house, Bucky’s laughter still ringing in your ears. Was that a flutter in your belly? Nope, nope, nope.

Part 4

#bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky barnes imagines #marvel fanfiction #bucky barnes x reader #marvel imagine #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky fic #bucky fanfic #bucky fanfiction #redgillan #redgillanwrites #breaking the rules

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duncanbarker-blog · 5 years

Photo

We spent the last three months on Koh Lanta and it was lovely being back on our favourite Thai island. We stayed at Malee Highlands, a new apartment complex on a hill between Khlong Dao and Long Beach with stunning sea and mountain views.

Malee Highlands was created by Swedish couple Mia and Mattias Terngård, who also developed Malee Beach in Long Beach, which we loved. The new area has the same attention to quality with Western-style comforts.

Units are available to rent and buy. The minimum rental is one month, so it’s ideal for digital nomads looking for a comfortable place to live and work, as well as couples and families who are spending an extended period on Koh Lanta.

Construction is still ongoing (in July 2019) so not all the apartments and facilities are finished yet (but the main pool and bistro are open). The biggest downside right now is the building noise, but we did get used to it and it’s not constant.

When Malee Highlands is finished it will be very peaceful as it’s in a secluded location but just a short drive from beaches, shops and restaurants. The sunsets here are phenomenal.

View from the side of Malee Highlands

Sunset from Malee Highlands

Disclosure: We were guests at Malee Highlands in exchange for creating videos, but we were under no obligation to write this review.

Malee Highlands Apartments

There is a wide range of apartments available at Malee Highlands from one to three bedrooms and all have unique features. Some are two stories, while others have private plunge pools or terraces with jacuzzis. All have gorgeous sea views and at least one small balcony to enjoy a glass of wine as the sun sets.

What makes Malee Highlands stand out is the high quality of their apartments. They are beautifully decorated in an almost NYC loft style and have all the comforts of home—a comfortable bed and couch, well-equipped kitchen, flat screen TV, washing machine (very unusual in Thailand), and homely details like cushions and artwork.

They are all key ready so you can move right in without needing anything. This is the first time in Asia that we’ve rented a place without having to buy loads of kitchen equipment.

There’s also fibre WIFI which is the fastest we’ve had in Thailand and made working easy. We had speeds of 106 Mbps down and 95 Mbps up. If we ever had any issues with it, the staff was quick to sort it out for us. There are occasional power cuts in Koh Lanta, but they usually don’t last more than five minutes or so and this is an issue everywhere on the island.

There’s also WiFi in the Bistro if you want a change of scenery (we worked here while our apartment was cleaned once a week).

There’s air conditioning throughout the apartments which we greatly appreciated as temperatures in the warmer months rarely go below 25ºC even at night.

Cleaning of the apartments takes place weekly and linens and towels are changed (for an extra fee).

Our Apartment: Chill House

We stayed in Chill House D4, a two-floor apartment with a bedroom and bathroom on each floor. It sleeps four people but as the second upstairs bedroom is small with bunk beds, it would work best for two adults and two children. There are gorgeous sea views from both floors.

Downstairs

On the ground floor is a kitchen and dining area which leads to a bathroom and the main bedroom. The bedroom is small, but it has been cleverly designed so that each side of the queen bed is accessible by a separate entrance on each side of the kitchen.

Entrance to D4 with access to one side of bed on the left and the other through the kitchen

Each side of the bed has plentiful storage, a reading light, and power sockets for charging phones. The mattress is very comfortable and there are two quality pillows on each side. The lightweight comforters are twins rather than doubles in the European style. There’s a flatscreen TV at the end of the bed.

My initial concern was the lack of natural light in the bedroom. As it’s at the back of the apartment there’s no window, but the benefit of this is that you get sea views in the living areas instead. We found that if we left the sliding doors partly open we got enough light from the kitchen window to wake us in the morning (or close them if you want to sleep in).

All the other apartments have larger master bedrooms, so go with one of them if you want more space and natural light.

The kitchen is small but well-equipped with rare but important essentials like good knives, a blender, food processor, microwave, and toaster oven. There are even all the tools for baking a cake! We didn’t quite manage that but we did bake cookies.

The only thing I lacked was a wok and rice cooker for Thai cooking, but I guess most guests eat out if they want to eat Thai food. We were able to buy them inexpensively on the island.

Unusually for Thailand, there’s a combination washer/dryer which we found very useful. We also appreciated the drinking water machine where we had instant access to hot and cold filtered water. You can get refills of the water jugs on site.

The bathroom is high quality with a proper shower cubicle (no wet floors!) with both regular and rain shower heads. The water pressure isn’t as strong as I’d like, but it’s good enough and they are having to work with the limitations of Thailand.

Upstairs

Upstairs is my favourite room—a bright living room with a wonderfully large and comfortable L shaped couch. Seriously, a proper comfortable couch like this in SE Asia is so rare and it makes me very happy! It also features a number of cushions which I always appreciate and is one of the homely touches that many apartment rentals lack.

There’s another large flat screen TV in the living room (this is where we did our Game of Thrones watching!).

The floor to ceiling windows make the most of the sea views and sliding doors lead on to the terrace where there’s comfortable seating, a table, and a fan. The sunset views here are amazing. A large drying rack is available—clothes dry out here in no time.

The small second bedroom is upstairs and consists of bunk beds, a cupboard, and yet another TV. Each bunk has a reading light and power socket. The bathroom next door is similar to the one downstairs.

Second bedroom in D4 with bunk beds (we added the desk and chair).

The only thing we found lacking in the apartment was a desk (some of the larger apartments do have them). You could work on the dining table, but it’s not particularly comfortable and we wanted to keep it for eating. Simon bought a small desk on Lazada and set it up in the second bedroom. I was happy working on the couch.

Watch Simon’s video tour of the Chill House:

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Other Apartments

There’s a variety of apartments at Malee Highlands and we got to know many of them as we were making videos.

Flexi House Mini is the smallest apartment with one bedroom, a small living room, and a balcony. There’s an extra shared pool in the Flexi House and the balconies can be opened up to create one large space, so this could work well for groups.

Chic House Pool is one of my favourites. It has two bedrooms, large open plan lounge/kitchen, and a private plunge pool with amazing views.

Watch our Chic House Pool video:

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Next door the Chic House Lounge is larger with two bedrooms plus a third loft bedroom and two terraces.

Chic House Lounge Deluxe is higher up the hill and is probably the most spectacular apartment. There are two bedrooms and a third loft bedroom, lots of space, and a high tech surround sound system and 65” Smart TV. The master bedroom has floor to ceiling views overlooking the sea.

Master bedroom at Chic House Lounge Deluxe

There are two terraces and the upper terrace is incredible. It has 360º views of the sea and jungle, multiple comfortable seating areas, jacuzzi, BBQ and kitchen area.

Watch Simon’s video tour of the Chic House Lounge Deluxe:

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Highlands Bistro

The Highlands Bistro overlooks the pool and has even better views than from our apartment, especially at sunset. It was very convenient having a restaurant on site for when we couldn’t be bothered to cook or drive anywhere.

Currently there’s a simple menu of sandwiches, salads, and burgers plus Thai specials. The menu doesn’t look vegetarian-friendly, but they can make most things vegetarian and the staff is very friendly and flexible. They even got in some tofu especially for us.

Khao soi at Highlands Bistro

The dish we ate most often was the khao soi (a northern Thai curry noodle soup) which is excellent and comes with all the typical toppings. The Penang curry is also good and we enjoyed the mango passion shakes and frozen strawberry daiquiri.

Take a look around the bistro and pool (and see that famous sunset) in this video:

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Famous Swedish chef Jesper Bogren will be taking over the bistro soon and a new fine dining restaurant will open by the end of 2019, so the food will get even better.

Pool

There’s a lovely square pool with fantastic sea views next to the bistro. There are sun loungers and umbrellas and it was never too busy during our stay.

One side of the pool is shallower and ideal for kids and the other is deeper and is where I swam lengths. The water temperature is balmy. There’s also a separate shallow pool next to it where you can sunbathe in the water or let small children splash around.

Sunset at the pool

Future Plans

Mia and Mattias have big plans for Malee Highlands. They will be adding an adults-only pool, chill-out deck, spa and ice pool, gym, children’s playroom, and a fine dining restaurant. We can’t wait to return in a few years and see all the changes.

Location

From Malee Highlands it’s about 1km down the hill to Khlong Dao beach where you can find shops and restaurants. The walk takes about 15 minutes but the climb back up in the heat is not much fun as the hill is very steep. I did often run it but had to go out just after sunrise.

It’s best to have your own transport. It’s only a few minutes motorbike ride to the beach. Cars are also available to rent and this is a good option for families.

The office can help you arrange motorbike or car rental which is really handy as you don’t need to leave a passport as you would if you booked direct, and they had it delivered to us very quickly. We paid 7500 THB for a three month rental of a Scoopy in low season.

Khlong Dao, Long Beach, and Saladaan can all be reached within 10 minutes by motorbike (5 minutes for Khlong Dao).

Malee Highlands also has a free shuttle at designated times and stops, so you could manage without transport.

Costs

Apartments at Malee Highlands start from 21,000 THB (US$686 / €609) a month. Rates vary widely depending on the time of year and are lowest from mid-April until the end of July. WiFi is included but cleaning, electric, water, and laundry are extra.

Check the latest rates on the Malee Highlands website.

We really enjoyed our stay at Malee Highlands. The apartments are homely, comfortable, and well-equipped, and we loved the views. We look forward to returning when all the work is completed.

If you’d like more information about the island, see our Koh Lanta guide.

Enjoyed this post? Pin for later!

#thailand #kohlanta #digitalnomad"

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faces-in-unexpected-places · 4 years

Text

Do You Have the Time? Episode 023: The Deal

Synopsis: Leopold takes a totally non self-destructive break from his stress. Jeremy and Madison demonstrate a vastly different relationship in their recent past.

[April 24th, 2018, 18:13]

Leopold heaved himself up onto the lab bench and sat right next to the melted surface that Sophia pointed out. The lab was in total and complete disarray. He’d collected many of the large pieces of glass, but the floor was still sparkling with fine shards and glass dust. There were also many jagged pieces still sticking out of the window frame as well. Combined with Sophia’s news, his motivation to keep up a good appearance for Jeremy and Leslie was quickly plummeting. He considered waking IO out of its slumber for help with the cleaning but putting on a face even for a robot felt like a massive undertaking. If he told the others that the glass was taking longer than expected, Leslie would just volunteer herself and Jeremy to help it go faster. And then he would have to tell them what happened while they were gone. If he didn’t, they would notice that something was wrong.

At least Leslie would.

He wiggled his phone out of his pocket and reached out to them for an update.

[LEOPOLD_LESLIE_JEREMY_CONVERSATION_START_18:18]

LL: hey there you 2, how’s the search going :)

JB: Good. Leslie’s driving and we’re on our way back. JB: We took the long way.

LL: ok no problem

JB: Leslie is yelling at me to tell you that it was an accident. JB: She didn’t know where the Home Depot was.

LL: but we were just there…?

LG: I was listening to ur sotyr abt Woodstock that isn’t fair!!

LL: i thought she was the one driving?

LG: red light

LL: where r u guys? LL: hello

JB: Aaand now, it’s a green light. JB: The GPS says we’re about 20 minutes away. JB: We actually just passed Leslie’s house a few minutes ago.

LL: i finished the cleaning a little bit ago LL: y don’t u 2 just head home tonite and bring the supplies tomorrow?

JB: Are you sure? It’s only 20 mins.

LL: u guys r already in ur neighborhoods LL: and u 2 have been staying late and coming in early to work alot lately LL: u deserve a break :)

JB: She wants to know what time we’re coming in tomorrow.

LL: just be here at 9am lie everyone else LL: like* everyone else LL: hello?

JB: Sorry, just rerouting. Rush hour.

LL: no worries!

JB: Okay, Leslie’s going to take me back to my house and head home, then. JB: She’s keeping the supplies in her car overnight and will bring them tomorrow morning.

LL: ok sounds good LL: see u guys then! LL: great job today !

JB: Thanks. You too. JB: Leslie says thank you, too. JB: Sorry, she says, “Thank you!! <3”

LL: lol LL: that sounds like her

JB: Have a good night, Leopold. See you soon.

LL: see u !

[LEOPOLD_LESLIE_JEREMY_CONVERSATION_END_18:30]

Leopold grinned faintly but it was quickly washed away with exhaustion. His face was heavy and expressionless. Tired. He let himself fall off the workbench and landed on his feet. The promise of solitude filled him with a vague relief. He trudged over to the entrance to the lab and locked the doors. Many of the labs nearby had turned their lights off and were left empty for the night. He lugged himself back across the lab and carefully stepped through the sheet of glass dust on the floor of his office until he reached his desk. The lowest side-drawer contained a mess of papers and wires and junk that he should probably have gotten rid of long ago.

All the way in the back was a plastic bag and some flimsy, palm-sized pieces of paper. A small bag next to it contained a pile of grassy-looking balls. He retrieved the two bags, sat down, and dumped a dirty-green colored bud onto the paper. In his top side-drawer, he pulled out a mortar and pestle. When he ordered materials for his lab decades ago, he “accidentally” ordered an extra mortar and pestle. He ground the bud in the bowl with the pestle, sprinkled the green dust into the paper, rolled it tight, licked it together and lit it up with his handy zippo. With his feet up on the desk he took a long puff of his favorite medication and stretched his limbs out.

If he was going to be there for a while, he might as well get comfortable, too.

After today, he needed a break.

[May 13th, 2016, 1:57]

Madison sat anxiously on the couch of a dark living room, scanning the quiet, suburban neighborhood through the window for cars. She checked her phone again. A message from Jeremy ten minutes ago. It said he’d be here in five minutes. She glanced to the clock for the 3rd time. She wasn’t sure what she expected to be different, as if he would somehow arrive faster. A car slowly emerged from behind the next-door neighbor’s hedges and parked on the street in front of the house. She waited for a few seconds, then the car flashed its headlights three times. It was him! She leapt off the couch, stuffed her bare feet into her shoes and silently slipped through the front door, closing it gently behind her. She jogged down the driveway to meet him on the sidewalk.

“You made it,” she said.

“I did. How’s the situation in there?”

“They’re asleep. Went to bed around eleven or midnight.”

“Okay. We should be fine, then. Thanks for doing this,” he said.

“Sure. I wouldn’t deal with them if I didn’t have to, either.”

He shut his car door as quietly as he could and followed Madison up the driveway. He carried a small, flattened cardboard box under his arm. They entered and both took their shoes off out of habit. He followed behind her through the living room and down the hallway. They tiptoed past their parents’ bedroom and stopped at Jeremy’s old room, across the hall from Madison’s. She led him inside, shut the door and used the light from her phone to see. Jeremy observed and did the same.

“So, what are you looking for?” she asked.

“I want my keyboard and all the accessories that go with it, wax warmer and the wax cubes, and some old notes I took for some of my classes. Those can go in the box. I also want to take my bedspread and my old bookshelf. Those, I can fit in the backseat.”

“Really, the keyboard? Even after mom cracked down on your knuckles every practice session? I haven’t heard you play in forever.”

“I haven’t, really. But I can still play, and it is still mine, so I’d like to take it back.”

“Fair enough. Okay, we can do that.”

Aside from periodically bumping into each other in the dark, the plan worked out without a hitch. First, the box was taken to the car. Then the bedspread, and lastly the bookshelf. They had to be extremely careful to not bump the bookshelf into any walls or fixtures. Luckily, they had the carpeted floors on their side, so setting it down was no problem. Walking without shoes on carpet was essentially silent, as well. After waddling out to his car with the shelf, they set it down on the tree lawn to take a breather.

“You sure this is okay?” Jeremy asked.

“A little late to be asking that question, dontcha think, Jay?” she laughed through her breath.

“Will you be okay tomorrow?” he rephrased.

“I think so. Probably. Mom still goes in your room all the time, but I’ll just put one of your old bedspreads on the mattress. If she notices, I’ll just tell her that I’m washing the bedspread you took, or something.”

“What if she asks about it later?”

“I dunno. Guess I’ll figure that out later. At least I’ll buy some time to keep her off my back in the meantime. Besides, that’s only if she notices. No offense Jay, but all the comforters you’ve ever had have had stripes. They all kinda look the same.”

He chuckled, sheepishly.

“Well, just be careful.”

“I always am,” she shrugged, “So, what’s your plan now? Graduating college and everything?” she asked and took a seat on top of his trunk, “You moving far away from here? I can’t imagine the two-hour drive right now is enough distance.”

Jeremy hopped up to sit next to her. They both laid back and looked at the few stars still visible in the suburban light pollution.

“I actually came to talk to you about that,” he said.

“Hmm. So, out with it, then. Where you headed?”

“Nowhere,” he replied.

“Oh, come on, you’ve gotta have somewhere to go.”

“No, Maddie. I’m staying in Curiesville.”

“What? Why?” she sat up and cross-examined, “Don’t you want to get the hell out of Crazy Town?”

“Of course, I do. But I got accepted into a PhD program at CVU in the fall. So, I’m staying there for a while longer.”

“Wait, you’re going back to school? What the hell, man, why?”

“Most jobs I can get are entry level right now, and advancement will take a while. And I’ve always wanted to do research,” he shrugged, “A PhD is a surefire way to really contribute to the body of science. To make some real advancements. To make something new and to make the world better, you know?”

“I guess, man. If it makes you happy, at least.”

“You’re almost done with high-school, right? Two years left?”

“If half-way is almost done in your mind, then yeah, sure,” she scoffed.

“How’s it going so far?” he asked, “I know we haven’t had much time to talk about it since you started.”

“Honestly, I bitch and complain about a lot of stuff, including school, but it’s actually not so bad. I’m not in any of those fancy-pantsy AP science classes like you were, but they’re still interesting. I’ve written a few articles for the school newspaper, actually,” she smiled, “My journalism teacher runs the newspaper and seems to like having me on the team. It’s a nice way to forget about mom and dad at least.”

“That’s great. Have you thought about what you want to do afterwards?” he asked.

Madison laughed and rolled her eyes.

“You sound like everyone else, now. ‘What are you doing with your life, Maddie?’ ‘Apply to colleges early, Maddie!’ ‘Don’t vape in the girl’s bathroom, Maddie!’” she mocked.

“Wait, what?”

“To be honest, I just planned on making a break for it when I turn eighteen.”

“Where to?”

“Dunno, don’t care. Across the country maybe. They have Targets and Walmarts in every state, figured I’d just work at one of those,” she said flippantly.

“You think you’d be happy with that?” Jeremy interviewed.

“Beats wasting away at forty, living in mom’s spare room, listening her talk about what a disappointment I am.”

“You don’t want to go to college?”

“Pfff, fat chance. Nowhere to live, no colleges in mind, and no money to pay for it.”

“There’s always financial aid. Loans to take out. Scholarships, all kinds of stuff. You just have to know where to look,” Jeremy persisted.

“Yeah, maybe you could get scholarships, genius. Do I look like someone who could do that?”

“Maddie, if you have a pulse, you can get scholarships. I applied for one that awarded me $500 for having a GPA above 3.0 and explaining why I thought I deserved the scholarship. It really can be that easy.”

“I guess so. That’s still just one piece of a way bigger puzzle, though.”

“Alright, I’ll just get to the point,” Jeremy sighed and sat up, “I get a yearly stipend of $30,000 to live off while I get my PhD. With some careful searching, that can cover basically all our living expenses. Both of us. And it could leave us with a little extra left over if we need it. We can get you financial aid and loans to pay for your classes,” he argued.

Madison turned to look at him directly. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, ruminating with her internal conflicts.

“Whoa, whoa, man. You’re… not serious, are you?” she asked.

“If I was joking, you would be laughing, Maddie,”

She furrowed her brow and scoffed.

“Shut up,” Jeremy scoffed back, “Yes, I’m serious. So, what’s your answer?”

“…It sounds nice, honestly, Jeremy, but… I couldn’t put you out like that. You’re… I mean, God, I hate that I’m going to say this, but you’re brilliant! Crazy smart and hard-working, and shit just comes to you, but it doesn’t work like that for me. I’m not anything special. I don’t even know what I would study…”

“You’ve got time to figure it out. Just think about it. Or you could work at Target in Curiesville with a familiar face around and build up some savings. Either way… you don’t have to fend for yourself if you don’t want to.”

“…You’re really okay with that. Sharing a place and supporting the family fuck-up?”

“You’re not the family fuck-up, mom and dad are.”

She nodded and grimaced in agreement.

“Where would we live?” she probed.

“Probably an apartment. They’re usually cheaper. There’s all kinds of options that we can look at, especially when you get closer to eighteen and have been accepted to the university and/or gotten a job at the Target of your choosing.”

“…And you really think that I can do college?” she persisted in her skepticism.

“You don’t have to be perfect. All you have to do is try your best, study, and talk to your professors. Most of them really want you to succeed, too. And I’ll be there to help you along the way if you need it. Seeing as how I just went through four years of college; I could probably answer a lot of questions for you. You would just have to keep me updated on how things are going and ask for help when you need it. If you want to quit and get a job instead, that would be okay, too. Just don’t give up on your classes without withdrawing and dropping out of the next semester. Otherwise, you’ll just build debt from classes you didn’t plan on passing, and that will be harder for us to deal with.”

“Well… I guess it would be nice to know that I’ve got a place to go once I can leave…” she said to herself, “I’ll think about the college thing. But if you’re totally sure that you’re okay with finding a place together…”

“I am,” he said firmly.

Madison slowly let go of her prudent attitude and let her beaming smile shine through. She squealed under her breath and glommed onto Jeremy in excitement. He grinned and returned her hug.

“Oh, our place would look so great, too! Can you imagine? I can already see it, now! Nice couch, sweet-ass TV for movie and videogame nights with ice-cream, ugh! Why can’t I just fast-forward two years already.”

He pulled himself away to look at her.

“It’ll go by faster than you think. Especially since you have school to do until then. Make sure to keep your grades up and build some good relationships with your teachers now, so that you can have a good application to CVU, if you want it, alright? You’ll need them to write good letters of recommendation. Next time we talk, we can talk about the SAT, too.”

“Oh yeah, I actually convinced mom to get me one of those study books for it? You know the ones.”

Jeremy smirked.

“So, you were already thinking about college, then?” he analyzed.

“Wh—I—I mean—yeah, a little. Just out of curiosity. With everyone talking about it, and everything…”

“Okay. Sure. Good for you,” Jeremy teased.

“What!”

“Nothing!” he laughed, “Just impressed. Study hard. I’m sure you’ll do very well.”

“I’m not a nerd like you though, let’s make that clear,” she guarded, pushing her hands out, defensively.

“I didn’t say anything,” he grinned.

“Yeah, but you’re looking at me with that shit-eating grin!” she slapped him on the arm.

“Oh!” he exclaimed, “Alright, there’s no need for violence, here. Especially since nerds can’t fight, anyway.”

“Hey!” she protested.

“What? I just meant me,” he taunted, “…and those closely related,” he mumbled.

“Jay!”

“What?! Come on, let’s get this bookshelf in the car before the sun comes up, and mom puts us in a cage or something.”

Jeremy hopped off the trunk of his car and helped Madison down, as well. They muscled the bookshelf on its side into the back of his car and shut the doors. That was everything Jeremy had returned home for. They stood on the sidewalk, avoiding the goodbye that neither wanted to say.

“So… what are you doing, now?” she asked.

“Well, I’m taking this stuff back to my place and setting it up, I suppose. I’ve had a bit more free time to make the trip out here since I graduated yesterday. Everything been okay here with mom and dad?”

“Eh, well, not much has changed, if that’s what you mean. Mom is still the same dictator she-demon she’s always been, rambling about you and how you’re basically science’s second coming of Christ, but also she hates you for moving away?”

“Makes sense.”

“And dad is… well, he’s nice sometimes, I guess. But he’ll never stand up for either of us when mom is going on an abusive tirade. Honest to god, I think he should just divorce her for his sake, even if I have to stay. He’s not here against his will, I don’t know why he doesn’t just leave.”

“Who knows. Fear, maybe? One thing I learned about dad early on is that when fear kicks in, he’s basically useless. And so long as he’s married to mom, he’s scared all the time.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Madison agreed, “Well, I’m not too scared to leave, and when I do, you and I are living it up!”

“It’ll be great,” Jeremy smiled faintly.

They both trailed off, and their talk met its natural end. He knew it was time to go. Madison watched his smile fade away, and hers followed quickly behind.

“I guess this is it, huh?” she said, “You gonna be okay making the drive back?”

“I think so. I slept in today on purpose today.”

“Heh. You even plan on sleeping in…” she chuckled, “…When are we gonna see each other again, Jay?”

“…I’m not sure. The summer will be busy for me while I work to save up some extra money for us. Maybe sometime in the fall when I get the hang of my new program.”

“Okay,” she frowned, “It’s just that… I miss ya sometimes, ya know?”

Her eyes swelled up and a tear rolled down her cheek. She kept herself composed and quiet to avoid waking anyone up.

“I miss you a lot, too, Maddie. Why do you think I planned out the next two years of your life?” he joked.

She let out a half-laugh-half-gasp.

“I guess that’s true.”

“You have my number still, right?”

“I do.”

“Good. Maybe we can talk more that way, send each other pictures and whatnot,” he sniffed.

“Yeah, good idea. We should do that.”

They both suddenly clung to each other and held on as tight as they could, quietly sniveling into each other’s shoulders. They clinched each other until their arms were tired, since they knew they wouldn’t be seeing each other for six months. Jeremy quietly spoke into her shoulder.

“Thank you for helping me,” he said.

“Heh, aww, come on, it was nothin’,” she said, “Anything to see my state-issued nerd, again,” she smiled and wiped her eyes with her forearm, “Thanks for planning me a better life.”

“It wasn’t that hard,” he chuckled, “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay. Love you, Jay,” she whispered.

“Love you too, Maddie.”

They squeezed each other tight once more, and disbanded. Madison then gave Jeremy space to get into his car. She stood on the sidewalk with her arms folded in front of her, watching him get ready to leave. He pulled into the next driveway across the street, turned his car around, and flashed his headlights on his way out. Madison waved goodbye from the tree lawn until she watched him turn down the next road.

Then, her neighborhood was as quiet and still as it was before he came.

0 notes

ecotone99 · 5 years

Text

[SP] [HM] Finders Keepers

It was a sunny but quite chilly morning when Maja and Lena Meubateux pulled into the driveway of their new home. Maja Meubateux parked the car and considered the old but stunningly beautiful French colonial style house with her radiant smile, usually reserved for her new wife who had long reached the main door and was waiting impatiently for Maja to open it up. If possible, Lena's joy about moving into this new home was even greater than Maja's. As an only child she had expected to inherit her parents house one day but luckily that day came without a tragic reason and sooner than expected .

Maja's parents, both energetic if not in best health, had been on the lookout for a wheelchair-accessible cottage for years now since the multi-level luxury home that lay before Maja and Lena had become less appropriate for their lifestyle. Nobody had expected that Mr. And Mrs. Meubateux-Pelletier had already found a suitable home some time ago and would give their daughter and new daughter-in-law a whole house as a wedding present.

Lena beamed with excitement as she unlocked the door to her childhood home that would now become her honeymoon retreat and gave her wife a little tour of the 13 rooms. All of them were still decorated in a slightly old-fashioned manner but with vital pieces of furniture missing. Of course this was just because Lena's Parents had taken their favourite pieces with them knowing that the newly-weds would soon bring and buy their own furniture anyway. But it did make the house look a little weird. A bedroom without a bed is a strange sight, especially in a house that did not need any help looking spooky. Maja and Lena sighed as they were reminded that they would have to spend the second night of their honeymoon on separate inflatable mattresses.

When Lena awoke the next morning, her wife had already gotten up and she could smell waffles from the kitchen. She put on one of Maja's shirts, a band shirt of some 80s group Lena could enjoy only in moderation. It was a bit big on Lena's petite body but that is what made it so cosy. She shuffled through the hall into the kitchen-dining room combination. “Good morning,” she said from the door since her wife was easily frightened and while she wanted to surprise her with a hug from behind, she knew it would end in disaster and waffles on the floor.

“Good morning, Babe,” smiled Maja and turned to kiss her. Her curls had miraculously survived the night and looked like a dandelion's head dipped in honey.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” said Lena, “but I heard some weird noises last night.”

“Like what?”

“I don't know... knocking? Tapping? Maybe we've got squirrels or rats or something in the attic.”

“Yeah could be. We're in the countryside after all. Speaking of countryside – it seems like the furniture shop doesn't do deliveries to houses this far from the city. I'll drive by there this afternoon to pick up the new curtains and the sofa. I don't think you can come with me, I'll have to flip all the seats in the car to make everything fit.”

“It's okay, just don't be too long. This house still creeps me out a little bit. And buy groceries while you're at it! Your waffles are delicious but woman does not live by waffles alone.”

Maja drove off and Lena took the opportunity to clean the house. She put her long hair up into a messy bun and put on some old denim dungarees and a soft rock LP. She had taken her vinyl collection with her in the car so it would have no chance to break in the moving van. She opened and cleaned all the windows and dusted in the kitchen and living room until sunset.

As it slowly got dark outside, she closed the windows and turned on nearly every light. Something about living in her childhood home again made a piece of her feel the dread of a small child running up the cellar stairs. And how scared she had been as a kid in a house like this. Well I haven't changed much, she thought to herself. She finally reached the conservatory which was unusually big and extravagant and served as a second dining room. Lena was a little disappointed that she could not see any stars through the glass ceiling.

As she examined the floor to see if she should bother to vacuum, she noticed that a lot of earth was scattered on the floor around a big potted plant. She looked at the earth more closely and decided that there was no way it would have just fallen out of the pot by itself. She felt uneasy. There could not have been any wind since her parents had moved out. And she was sure that they would have noticed and cleaned a mess like this.

In that moment, Lena heard the keys turn in the front door and attempted to get up. But then she heard something else. That tapping noise again. Faster this time and it did not seem to be coming from the attic. She was too scared to walk to the door and decided to call her wife who just seconds later appeared before her.

“Is everything alright? Did you fall?”

“No. I'm on the floor by choice. I called out to you because I'm too lazy to walk, you know how it is.”

“I'm sorry I took so long shopping and let you succumb to madness, my dear. I did buy a lot of cheese though if that helps.”

Lena grinned and had Maja help her up and both sat down at the dinner table with some quick pasta.

“So what were you doing on the floor clawing all the dirt out of our potted plants?” said Maja smiling, Lena did not smile back.

“That wasn't me,” she said reluctantly, waiting for Maja to raise her eyebrow like she always did when she couldn't make sense of something. Maja raised her eyebrow.

“I know. It's weird, right? Why would the earth just be on the floor like that?”

“The squirrels again?”

“Stop it already with your squirrels. I'm seriously worried.”

“How fitting then,” said Maja with a smug grin, “that I have bought us two a nice new couch big enough for myself and a slender maiden like you so we can sleep together tonight and I will protect you from anything that might make an attempt on your precious life.”

“Even spiders?”

Maja flinched. “Why would you bring up spiders?”

That night, Lena could not fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. She turned her head quietly and looked at her wife's sleeping face. She was an exceptional beauty, but in this state she looked rather funny; her mouth slightly open, snoring softly, her untamed golden blond curls everywhere in her freckled face. Lena always wondered how Maja managed not to chew and swallow her own hair at night. So this is the brave warrior that swore to protect me from all the evil in the world, she thought to herself and smiled.

Suddenly, she heard a loud bang on the living room window. She inhaled sharply and softly shook Maja awake. Maja looked at her with confusion for a short moment but was suddenly wide awake when she saw the fear in her wife's eyes.

“What happened?”

“There was a loud bang at the window!”

“A tree branch maybe?”

“I don't think there are any trees in front of that window.”

“Okay. I'll go take a look, Babe. You go back to sleep.”

Lena shook her head no and slowly got up to follow Maja to the window. There was nothing outside as far as they could see. Which was not very far as the clouded sky muted the stars' light and it was pitch black.

“Thanks for looking at least,” Lena said and got back on the couch. Maja joined her. Lena was still too scared to fall asleep but after a while she somehow managed.

She woke up the next day to her wife wearing garden gloves and her bad-news-face.

“I gotta show you something,” she said, and led Lena into their new backyard none of them had really considered until now. “I went to look under the window this morning,” Maja explained, but she did not get to end her sentence before Lena saw for herself. The whole backyard looked like it had been plowed. There were holes and mounds everywhere without discernible order. And to top it off, a dead and quite mangled bird was lying under the window the two of them had looked out of yesterday. “It must have...flown against it and died,” said Maja softly, looking with sympathy at Lena who she knew had a soft spot for animals. Lena felt sadness and disgust as a lump in her throat at the sight of the bloody pile of feathers.

“How would simply flying into something have a body look like that? And what's with all these creepy holes in our yard? What is going on?” Her voice got quieter. “Do you think we're haunted?”

“Us? What? If anything this creepy old mansion is the problem. I gotta be real with you here. I love you. I am eternally glad for the opportunity to live with you in this massive house. I respect your parents, but this spooky castle might as well have have a sign on it saying >>please do not disturb, ghosts inside<<!” Lena couldn't hide a smile. “It's not like that, I promise! I KNOW it's spooky. I wouldn't have chosen it. I thought it was creepy when I was a child and I still do. But! Things like this have never happened before. I lived here for 19 years. And I think I would have noticed something like THIS” she pointed to the holey backyard.

“Are you implying I'm cursed?” said Maja trying not to laugh.

“I'm just saying someone just does not get born with amazing handyman, sewing and cooking skills and looks like an Amazonian princess without their great-grandmother selling her soul to the devil.” Now they both could not contain their laughter any more.

“Seriously though, I think we've got a ghost problem”, said Maja “and I wouldn't mind one of the friendly ones but … I hate to say it... this one might have killed that bird. Plus it threw that dead creature against the window of the room we were sleeping in. Do you think it wants us gone?”

“If it did want us gone... what are we gonna do about it? I mean. I would call a priest but I don't even know if they do that kind of thing any more. Besides, I'm not very religious and given our situation...”

“What situation?”

“We're lesbians, darling. Well I am at least, I don't know about you. But I was kinda getting my hopes up after the marriage and all that. I don't think the catholic church is going to help us out in any way.”

“Well it looks like I'll have to do what every self-respecting haunted person would do in this situation and that is go look it up on the internet.”

“Sounds fair.”

Maja sat down in the kitchen with her laptop and continued to browse for an hour before she found something that looked reliable for a paranormal website. She read the questions on the site aloud.

“Did anyone from your family die recently?”

“Um. Yeah. My great aunt Sylvia.”

“Did she ever mention wanting to rearrange the garden, did she hold a grudge against birds as a species?”

“I don't think so.”

“Did you ever know anyone that would show such behaviour after death?”

“No.”

“Did anyone who is not with us any more ever express hatred towards you in an intensity that would make you think they would haunt you in the afterlife?”

“Well I hope my enemies all rot in hell but no, I can't say I do.”

“Well,” said Maja, “I guess we'll just burn some herbs then and hope for the best.”

When the moving company came by the next day to deliver their old furniture, the couple was a little embarrassed to have salt on their doorstep and crystals hanging from the chandelier in the entrance hall. But the workers were just glad to work in a house with big doors and windows to hurl dressers through as well as snacks and water. They had everything in its place in less than two hours, including the big canopy bed which, in retrospective, may have been an impulse purchase and now made the elaborate estate seem even more lavish and costly than it had looked from the start. But both Maja and Lena secretly found the thought of all their distant neighbours and old friends murmuring about a filthy rich lesbian couple living it up in the countryside incredibly amusing.

When they finally got to sleep in their own bed that night, both of them immediately felt more at home and fell asleep immediately. And yet, Lena could not sleep through the night. She was interrupted by a feeling of unease in her stomach that she could not shake off. It was as if something was watching her. She turned to look if maybe it could have been her wife who had made a habit of watching her sleep even though she knew Lenas intuition would immediately give it away, but Maja was dozing peacefully. Hair in face and all. It had gotten warmer in France over the last few weeks and Lena felt how the pent up heat in the room was slowly giving her a headache. She did not want to get up and so just shuffled off her half of the covers and repositioned herself, letting her leg dangle off the bed.

She took her phone from her night stand and carefully turned the screen away from Maja while she adjusted the brightness. She looked through some recipes she could not understand, picking out those she wanted to ask Maja to try. She decided on a lemon pie and a strawberry cake roll and scrolled on to find something with lots of chocolate.

All of a sudden she felt something wet and cold touch her leg. She screamed, waking up Maja who immediately embraced her and asked if she had had a bad dream. Lena burst into tears and had problems telling her wife what happened but finally managed. Maja looked under the bed and around the room for anything that could have caused the sensation but returned to bed empty handed.

“I don't think I want to stay here.” said Lena “But I don't know how to tell my parents. I can't possibly take their house as a gift and then sell it! And if we just give it back we won't have our own home for another 5 or 10 years.”

“It's okay, Darling, we'll find a way. Don't you worry. I will not let you spend the rest of your life in a ghost house. I'll look for a hotel first thing tomorrow morning, okay?”

“Okay,” said Lena. Maja fell asleep quickly after that but Lena lay awake and let her mind wander. Something about that sensation on her leg had been – what? Familiar? It had felt like a deja vu, like a glimpse of something that may or may not have happened before but when? And where? Here? Maybe the house really had been haunted back then already? Had she grown up in a ghost house and repressed these memories deep inside? But didn't it also feel... nostalgic?

And with a sharp inhale and a picture in her mind it came back to her. It couldn't be. Surely it couldn't be. But what if? Exhausted from the shock she finally fell asleep.

That sleep came to an abrupt end in the early morning hours by the sound of somebody falling down the stairs followed by her wife screaming and cursing. Lena quickly got up and sprinted down to Maja.

“I stumbled,” she said “I stumbled OVER something but... well as you can see there is nothing here.” She held her foot. “I've got enough of this house as well. Let's drive somewhere for breakfast.” Lena wanted to say something but she didn't. Not yet. Not while she was so unsure herself. She changed into a sundress and straw hat. She applied some lipstick and waited at the door.

“Would you drive? I don't think my ankle wants to!” Maja yelled from the kitchen.

“Sure!” Lena yelled back and grabbed the keys to go adjust the drivers seat. She opened the door to find a large wooden stick with bite marks on it lying on the mat. It had not been there the day before and did not look like it could have broken and fallen from a tree anywhere near the front door.

“I've had enough of this!” she screamed, picking up the stick and throwing it as far away from her home as she could “I can't take this any more!”

Maja was on her way to the door when she saw the stick, 15 meters down the driveway move. Lena saw her perplexed face and followed her gaze with hers. Both stood still but terrified as they watched the stick rise from the ground and then quickly move towards them, still 2 feet in the air. Maja softly pushed Lena back in an effort to block her wife from the paranormal force but much to her astonishment, Lena sank down to the floor. The stick lowered itself onto the mat in front of her. Lena looked up, extended her hand into thin air where it seemed to touch something and with a mixture of disbelief and hope whispered “Morrison?”

Suddenly she was knocked over backwards, bursting into tears laughing, covering her face from an unseen force. Maja stood dumbfounded, trying to make sense of what was happening but Lena beat her to it.

“It's Morrison, Maja! It's him! My dog from back when I was a child! He died when I was 11 but he's here, I can touch him! Can you?” Maja raised her eyebrow and tried to read her wife's face. What she saw was pure joy and happiness. The face of a woman who had been reunited with the only creature she may ever love as much as her. A love she would never dare to doubt – and after what had happened in the last few days, how could she? After all, what kind of insane person wouldn't recognize her own dead invisible dog? She kneeled down and made petting motions with her hand until it actually came into contact with something. She could feel coarse but soft fur. She moved her hand a little, trying to estimate the dog's form. She then decided where the ears must be and caressed him there.

“Good ghost dog. Can we keep him?”

* * *

The three of them spent most of the following summer in the garden. Lena reading, Maja planting flowers everywhere, Morrison digging those flowers back out. The couple quickly developed the necessary skills for living with an invisible dog and also bought some toys and a bed for him, which was difficult to explain to guests. After a heated debate, it was decided that without physical fur there was no reason not to let Morrison onto the couch and bed. Maja's efforts to convince her wife to let her buy a leash for him just to confuse pedestrians continue to this day.

One afternoon in the following fall, Maja came home early from work and nervously said “You know how much I love Morrison … but there is something I don't know about him that I would really like to find out.”

“And what is that?”

“Well...” said Maja and shyly pulled a flyer of a nearby shelter out of her jacket. “Do you think he could be friends with a living one?”

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thehungrykat1 · 6 years

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Valentine’s Day Staycation at Okada Manila

Valentine’s Day always calls for a more special and intimate celebration. We had visited Okada Manila a number of times already since it opened in December 2016, but this was usually to dine at their restaurants or to attend media events. Last February 14, we finally decided to book one of their lovely rooms for a memorable Valentine’s Day staycation. The integrated resort hotel does look so glamorous and luxurious, from its facade to its lobby, but it wasn’t until we stayed inside their huge deluxe room that we really saw how colorful an overnight stay at Okada Manila can truly be.

Okada Manila is probably the most fancy and over-the-top integrated casino resort among the three establishments which have opened at the Entertainment City along Roxas Boulevard and Macapagal Avenue. The designs are exquisitely Asian with bright pastel colors surrounding the high-ceiling lobby and front desk. Step inside the entrance and you will see how different it is from the other traditional hotels in the city.

Okada Manila sets the new gold standard for five-star luxury. I am also a frequest visitor of its neighbors Solaire Resort and Casino (Read: Solaire Resort & Casino: Las Vegas Resort Vibe in Manila) and City of Dreams Manila (Read: City of Dreams Manila Holds Media Appreciation Lunch at Dreamplay), but Okada Manila takes it one notch higher in terms of elegance and grandeur.

Their big multi-level basement parking offers complimentary parking, but checked-in guests can also leave their cars with the Valet service. The main hotel lobby actually looks like a combination of Arabian Nights and a French cabaret. The vivid colors of the interiors just seem to pop out, as if you are in a movie set. It may not have the history and sophistication of, let’s say, a Raffles Hotel, but it does bring its own unique personality and opulence that is unmatched by any other establishment.

Okada Manila has a total of 993 exquisitely spacious rooms offering views of either the Manila Bay or The Fountain, although these are not yet all fully completed. Our Deluxe Room was located on the hotel’s topmost level on the 16th floor and we specifically requested for a room facing the fountain so we can watch the grand display in the comforts of our room. Everything looks so cute and pink!

Okada Manila’s suites and villas create a profound sense of deep relaxation, underlined by the integrated resort’s own brand of exemplary service featuring the unique blend of Japanese hospitality and Filipino warmth. Can you believe that this 60 to 74 sqm. Deluxe Room is just their most basic room? This is probably as big as the Junior or Executive Suites of other hotels. The room comes with stylish features and furnishings including a king-size bed with Sealy mattresses, a separate sitting area and workdesk, a big flat screen television, a walk-in closet, coffee and tea making facilities, plus complimentary wifi access throughout the hotel.

One of the most outstanding features of their rooms is the fully-automated iPad control panel that does not just act as a remote control for the cable TV, but it also lets you adjust the room lights, curtains, aircon, make restaurant reservations, control the privacy settings on your door, and call for the butler if you need any other assistance with the room. All of these can be done with just the touch of a button!

But the best amenity you will find inside all the rooms and suites of Okada Manila would definitely be the huge Jacuzzi inside the equally huge bathroom. This area is almost as big as a hotel room itself, and it opens up to a fantastic view of the city and the grand fountain below.

Since it was Valentine’s Day, the best way to melt a woman’s heart is with flowers, of course, plus a few other gifts which are always appreciated.

The bathroom also comes with a double sink and a vanity dresser which is just perfect for couples. You can leave the bathroom doors open while inside the jacuzzi, or you can close it if you want some alone time and privacy.

Aside from the luxurious designer amenities you can find, including Roberto Cavalli toiletries, the bathroom is also equipped with a rain shower and an automated Japanese control for the toilet. The toilet bowl actually opens by itself when you get near it. The controls for the toilet seats and water functions can be a bit tricky, so just go and have fun trying the various operations.

First time visitors of Okada Manila should also register for their Reward Circle membership program, regardless of whether they will play inside the casino or not. There are many benefits and perks of being a member, like getting discounts in restaurants and earning points for purchases. Gamers can also get an instant P500 in Free Play at the 26,000 sqm casino upon signup, with its 500 table games and 3,000 electronic gaming machines. You can check out the exciting new member perks here.

With over 21 dining options throughout the massive hotel resort, Okada Manila provides non-stop thrills to excite the palate. They have a roster of Michelin-starred chefs’ offerings ranging from fine dining to comfortably casual. While most of these might be beyond the normal family’s budget, the most popular dining option would probably be Medley Buffet, Okada Manila’s signature all-day buffet restaurant bringing together a symphony of delectable flavors from breakfast until dinner.

Medley Buffet is located at the upper ground floor of the Retail Boulevard inside the Pearl Wing. You can read about my lunch buffet here on my previous post: 10 Reasons to Visit Okada Manila’s Medley Buffet.

Another enticing option is the Lobby Lounge located at the ground floor. With plush seating and an inviting ambiance, the Lobby Lounge is an ideal place to relax or hold quick meetings while enjoying an assortment of light snacks, hot and cold beverages, or premium wines and spirits. They also have a variety of signature cakes, saccharine delights, and delectable pastries from the Pastry Shop for guests to bring home.

Over at the Crystal Corridor, which houses over 50 of the world’s leading brands in a retail space designed to make memorable experiences, guests can also find a couple of familiar outlets like Starbucks, Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory, Pink’s, and more.

There’s also another strip of restaurants that is not so visible, which we only discovered during this visit. At the back of the casino floor is the Player’s Kitchen where you can find Pepper Lunch and a couple more fast-casual stalls offering ramen and other international cuisines.

Okada Manila has activities for the entire family. Watch your child fulfill early life milestones while they gleefully glide down slides, conquer padded obstacle courses, put basketballs through a hoop, play pretend grocery shopping, and sing and dance to their heart’s delight at PLAY, located at the upper ground floor of the Coral Wing.

But the biggest adult playground in Okada Manila can be found at Cove Manila, the largest indoor beach club and nightclub in the Philippines. Cove Manila offers a fusion of music, style, and dining under one iconic dome. Guests can embark on a day-to-night clubbing experience featuring the most anticipated international and local artists of various genres. All of this while enjoying the breathtaking views of Manila Bay within a column-free, 30 meter tall UV-reflective and hermetically controlled glass dome.

Cove Manila plays host to several luxury and lifestyle events every month and one of them was the launch of The Macallan Edition No. 3 last year which I also attended (Read: The Macallan Launches Edition No. 3 at Cove Manila).

During our Valentine’s staycation, we decided to visit Cove Manila during its Happy Hour called Sunset Sessions. Guests can avail of Buy 1 Take 1 promotions on all beverages from 5:00pm to 8:00pm from Sundays to Wednesdays so we had a few glasses of champagne while watching the fantastic Manila sunset.

Most guests from around the city actually go to Okada Manila to watch the spectacular show at The Fountain. As expansive as 50 Olympic-size swimming pools, the $30-million fountain’s grandeur and accurately choreographed water, light and music performances rival those in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and Las Vegas’ Bellagio. Accompanied by dazzling lights and captivating music, each performance is created to take your breath away as The Fountain shoots its waters into the Manila sky. Best of all, the show is absolutely free for everyone to enjoy. Daily shows are held at the top of the hour from 6:00pm to 10:00pm with more shows scheduled on weekends. Check this link for The Fountain’s full schedule: https://okdmnl.ph/TheFountain.

For checked-in guests, they will get a unique way of watching the entire show in the comforts of their rooms and suites high above the action. This vantage point truly gives the show a different perspective that other guests will not see on the ground level. That’s why we asked for the highest floor, so we can have the best view of The Fountain’s dazzling performances.

In fact, when we came back to our room after dinner and some shopping, we found this beautiful Valentine’s cake set waiting for us as part of their turndown service. These are the small things that guests always remember and apprciate during their stay.

And to make our evening even more memorable, we opened a bottle of champagne, paired with a warm and relaxing bubble bath plus a view of the metropolis to end the night. Okada Manila is definitely a great place to celebrate special occasions and truly memorable moments. I heard that the hotel swimming pool has just recently opened, so I will have to go back here soon for another glamorous visit.

Okada Manila

New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Parañaque

888-0777

www.okadamanila.com

www.facebook.com/OkadaManilaPH

#OkadaManila #Okada #ValentinesDay #Staycation #Hotel #Resort #Casino #Philippines

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brianxgw205447-blog · 6 years

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